Box for street-valves, fire-plugs, and the like.



Patented Jan. 4, 191,

B. PRBNDBEGAST. ET VALVES, FIRE PLUGS; 'ANDTH- LIKE.

.APPLICATION I'ILIID PEB. 17,1909.

' 30X FOR .valve of a water main, tire plug,

Unifransfrafrns 'ragni-sfr ricerca;

'EDWARD PRENDR-GAST, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOX 'FOBISIREET-VALVE-S, FIRE-PLUGS. AND LIKE.

,l applic-ation mea February 17, 1999. serial No. 117-8474,

To all whom it may concern:

'Bc it known that I, EDWARD Prins nnaoas'r, a citizen of the United States, and resident .of .SL Louis, Missouri, have invented cer- ;tain new and useful Improvements in Boxes ,for Street-Valves, Fire-Plugs, and the Like, of which the following is a Aspeciication eoiuzaning a full, clear, and exact descripst-ion, reference being had to the accompany- .ing-dra\\ings, '-'forminga part hereof.

My invention relates to a box or housing' .adapted to be located immediately below the surface of the ground for inclosing the or the like, Athe particular object of 'my invention being to yconstruct a simple, `strong and durable sectional box of slabs or plates of reinforced concrete, which box may be readily set up at lthe point of use and the sections forming.

the walls of the box b eing so constructed as 'to interlock and form a strong, substantial ..structure without the use of bolts, pins, or

like fastening devices.'

My pr' ient invention is an improyement i over a s. .'iilar device shown and described -in an applica-tion for Letters Patent filed by me May 7, 1908, Serial No. 431,411.

To the above purposes', my invention consists in certain novel features of const-ruct-ion and arrangementof parts which Vwillbe hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in the claim. ,'ai d illustrated in the aecompanying-drawin s, in which:

Figure 1 1s a perspective v'iew of a box of my improved construction s'et up for use;

Fig-2 is an'elevation, partly in section, of one of the plates or slabs utilized in formingthe upper half of the box; and Fig. 3 is a' vertical section taken through the c'enter of the box and showing the" saine po i'- tioned for use.

The base or lower half of the boxisconf strueted ofifour plates 1, identical -in size y panded metal or 'of and construction, said plates being preferably formed o'f concrete, or analogous hardened plastic material, and Vin the center of which plate is embedded a Wire netting, which reinforces the plate. The ends of eaeh plate 1 are slightly inclined relative to t c planes occupied by the top and bottom 'edges of said plate, and formed in 'one end 'of each plate is a rectangular notehor recess', and

,formed integral with the opposite end of each plate is a 'rectangular lug 4, which when the plates are assembled occupies the section :Q ofex- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

A.notches 6.. y

plates or slabs forn'ung lower edges of the plates 4 @when the plates 'the plates 1, the inclination of the meeting Patented Jain si, 1910.

corresponding notch of the adjacent plate, and which lug is somewhat shorter than the notch 3, in order' io provide clearance spaces 5 between the ends of the lugs and thc ends of the notches 3 when thtpluies or slabs l. are assembled, and thus all vertical strain upon the lugs l and ends of the plates 1 above and below the notches is donc away with, which vertical strain would have a tendency to break or frueturt` the lugs l and ends of the plates.

Formed in the top edges of th( plates 1 at the ,centers thereof' are 'rectangular 7 designates the the top or upper half of the box, which plates or slabs are constructed of concrete,

1n which are embedded sections S of wire netting or expandedmetal lo reinforce said plates, and the ends of said plates being inclined relative to the planes oecupiedby the top and bottom edges of the plates in order that when all of the plates are assembled to form the box, the saine will have the appear- Aance of a truncatedI pyramid.

Formed on one end of each plate 7 is a 'rectangular lug 9, and formed in the opposite end is a'rectangular notch 10, which is slightly longer than is the lug S, and by this arrangement clearance spaces ll are formed between the ends of the lugs S) and the vnotches 1 0 whcnithe. plates oi' slabs T are assembled.

. Formed integral with the lower edges of the plates 7 are dependinglr lugs 1Q, which 'when the pla-tes are assenililed to forni the box occupy the notches (3, this interlockinglthe meeting edges of the plates 1 and '7. l ,The top edges of the plates 1 and the are formed at right' angles to the plancsoccupied, by the bodies of vthe plates l and 7, and thetet'orc 7 are positioned oulop'of edges of said plates prevents any lateral movenicnt of the upper half of the box 'relative tothe lower half,- ind the earth can be tamped in around the side walls of the box without affecting the alinement of the walls forming the box. s

A. box of my improved. construction is ,very strong and substantial, can be readily assembled and set up for use, and the various plates or slabs forming the walls of the box` are interloclced at their ends 'and at. their meeting edges in such a manner as to mam- 'losA tain 'their proper positions wheirassenibled Without the. use of fastening dizevice's,V such as pins or bolts. Lcliiiiri.:

l. The herein described truncated box forystreet. valves and tire plugs,.comprising a hase .section formed of tour pl sites o reinforced concrete, each of which )lates has tapering ends and is provided on each end with a recess :ind on the opposite end with an inclined projection, vided on its top edge with a re dizite its ends, a top section euch plate is process intermecoinposed offour plaies-with tapering ends and hin-ing bottoni edges of ihe'siinie edges ot the plates of the base plaire ot the top section' being length as the top section, eiich provided on one of its ends with a recess sind on the opbuse. section formed of four il ing, each plate inclined lug g adapted to recess of the The herein described truncated box for plugs, comprising n iites of reinforced concrete of similar shapes :ind dimensions, the ends of euch pliite being taperliiiving in one end :ind 1n its top'edge a recess :ind having :i lng formed on the opposite end, the length of the lug of each plate being less than the length of the end recess, a top section fori plates ot' reinforced concrete,

ned of four said plates -recess an' a lii r formed on the lower shapes and dimensions, each plate of the top section having u lug on one endiiiid a recess on the other end, the length of the luer being less than the length of the edge of each plate adapted to be seated in the recesses formed in the plates-of the lower section.

3. The herein described truncated box for street valves :ind lire phi'gs, comprising' a baise section formed of four plates of reinforced concretc ot similar shapes end dimensions, the ends ot' each plete being tapering, eneh plate'having in one end and in its top edge ii recess :ind haring a lug orined on the opposite end, :i top section' formed rof four plates of reinforced concrete, said plates being of similar shapes sind dimensions, each plete of the top section having iii lng on one end sind a recess on the other end, there be ing' zi clearance :ind the eorrespiinding recess in which it is sented, und :i lng formed on the lower edge of'eixch plate adapted to lie snugly seated in the, recesses fol-ined in the top edges of the plates of the lower section.

In testimony whereof, l have signed niy naine to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses. V-

' TREN DERGAST.

being of-siiniiiir EDWAR l) Yitnesses M. P. Ciiii'rii, E. LiiALiistrn space between @zich end lug 

